Sterling's Rare AR-18 Bullpup Mock-Up with firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson

This video explores a unique Martini-action target rifle converted into a bullpup configuration by Jonathan Ferguson of the Royal Armouries. The conversion highlights the principles of bullpup design, where the action and magazine are moved behind the trigger to shorten the overall weapon length while retaining barrel length. The presenter details the specific modifications made to the BSA Model 13, including the exposed trigger linkage system.

This entry details the Armalite AR-18 and AR-180, focusing on their design principles and historical context. Expert Ian McCollum highlights the short-stroke gas piston, rotating bolt, and stamped steel receiver as key features. The AR-18 platform, though not a commercial success, significantly influenced subsequent modern rifle designs like the SA80, AUG, and G36.

Ian McCollum and Jonathan Ferguson of the Royal Armouries present a challenge to find three unique firearms based on appearance, mechanical oddity, and historical impact. They showcase experimental and rare pieces like the Charlton Automatic Rifle, Sterling 7.62mm prototype, Schwarzlose Model 1898, Gabbett-Fairfax Mars pistol, an SA80 prototype, and a BSA Machine Carbine, highlighting their unusual mechanisms and limited adoption.

This entry details the Knight's Armament KS-1 (L403A1), the British Army's new Alternative Individual Weapon, adopted under Project Hunter. Expert Jonathan Ferguson from the Royal Armouries provides an in-depth look at its features, intended use for specialized units, and its role in supplementing existing platforms like the SA80.

This guide details the process of arming an 11th-century Norman knight, as explained by an institutional expert from the Royal Armouries. It covers the sequence of donning essential protective gear, including padded undergarments, a mail hauberk, a nasal helmet, and a kite shield, emphasizing weight distribution and historical construction techniques.

This guide details the installation and operation of the Harston's Patent Mark IV magazine, a rare modification designed to convert the single-shot Martini-Henry rifle into a repeater. Expert Jonathan Ferguson explains the mechanism, its inventor Captain Charles Gravelle Harston, and the historical context of its development. The guide covers fitting the magazine, the cycling process for feeding rounds, and the use of the cutoff device for single-shot operation, while also noting potential reliability issues and the high conversion cost.